A&E Plans To Move Forward With ‘The Jackson Family’ Reality Show
The A&E network teamed up with members of the Jackson family earlier this year to produce a reality TV series which would focus on their work on a new album and plans for a Jackson 5 reunion concert. The entire series was filmed while Michael Jackson was still alive and plans were originally to premiere the show this Summer. In the wake of MJ’s sudden death in June, A&E shelved the project and put it on hiatus … but no longer. Apparently, enough time has passed since MJ’s death that A&E and the Jacksons have decided that the series titled The Jackson Family will air “soon” and will include eps of the brothers coping with the death of Michael Jackson:
A&E plans to air a Jackson family reality series that will show the late King of Pop’s brothers grappling with his sudden death. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon had previously filmed an hour-long pilot before Michael’s death, and planned to include a climactic reunion with The Gloved One. But their younger brother never signed on to do it, and passed before they could change his mind. Insiders say that A&E is moving forward with more episodes that show the Jacksons coping with Michael’s death and handling the day-to-day struggles in their own lives. A deal for the series hasn’t been fully ironed out, but the original agreement was for a pilot with provisions for a series, so the show will go on. The one-hour pilot will air on A&E within the month, likely with a reference at the end that Michael passed away, followed by segments that will be shaped into either 30 or 60-minute episodes. Danny O’Donovan, who has managed the Jacksons since they left Motown in the late 70s, brokered the TV deal.
While I cannot fault the Jacksons for wanting to air the eps of this show that they have already filmed, after an appropriate time has passed since their brother’s death, I cannot help but feel like the “bonus” eps that feature the family coping with his death is just a wee bit if not OUTRAGEOUSLY exploitative of MJ’s death. While I’m sure they are having a tough time dealing with the loss of their brother, it seems to me to be a more prudent course of action to focus on their professional lives rather than to interject the death of MJ. The fact that they are Jacksons will still bring in the ratings so they don’t need eps filled with heartbreak and tears just to get people to watch … I just think they should not further exploit MJ’s death for their own gain. I dunno … what do y’all think?
[Source]
Tags: 'The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty'
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August 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 am
I agree that people would probably watch it either way, but I think it would be a bit strange to show this work they were doing right before his death and then not bring it up. I think it just depends on how they handled it.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 am
@Kim — They could air the eps already filmed, the end. I mean … yeah, I see what you’re saying but … I dunno.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
In real reality their lives have both going on…work and dealing with the loss of their brother. If the show includes both then it’s showing us “real” reality. I think a lot will depend on how the show puts it out there.
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I suppose if the eps were filmed in the midst of the tragedy then they should be left in. After all they were filming a “reality” show and death is an unfortunate part of that reality. If they filmed these eps after the original series was finished then yes, I think it would be wrong to air them but at the end of the day they are the Jacksons and this is show business… it all depends on how it played out over the course of filming is really what it comes down to. Much like the break-up of Jon and Kate Gosselin on their reality show. It all happened in the midst of filming and so they put it out there… because it really wouldn’t be “real” if they didn’t. I think as long as they aren’t trying to ridiculously exploit his death, but show us what was really going on during that day and those immediately following then there really is nothing completely wrong with it.
And again it IS the Jacksons… I LOVE them but Lord knows that in their world the show must always go on!
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 pm
His whole family are just money whores. I can’t believe the amount of airtime Jermain Jackson has been getting since his brothers death.